1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to car covers. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved car cover deployment and storage system.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the escalating cost of automobiles, car owners are taking more precautionary measures to preserve their car,s condition. The use of car covers is widespread for protection of cars from dust and debris, which contribute to the deterioration of a car,s paint finish. In the sunbelt areas, car owners who do not have access to a covered parking space often resort to the use of a car cover to protect their cars from the damaging effects of the sun. Further, the use of car covers is also customary to discourage theft and vandalism.
Available covers which cover the entire body of the car are generally stored in a stuff bag which is, in turn, stored within the trunk of the vehicle. The storage of car covers in this manner requires awkward bunching and stuffing of the car cover into the bag when the car cover is removed from the vehicle. Because this procedure involves significant time and effort on the part of the car owner, the car owner will often leave the car exposed, rather than struggling with the cover.
In an effort to address this problem, U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,135 teaches the use of a protective device including a protective sheet for covering the upper surface of the body of a motor vehicle. The sheet is anchored at one end to a winding roller which is fixed permanently to the vehicle in the region of one of it bumpers and is provided at its other end with means for attachment to the region of the other bumper. This protective device has many disadvantages. The protective device only covers the top of the car, leaving the sides exposed to dust and the elements. Likewise, since the doors and side windows of the vehicle are exposed, the protective device does little to discourage theft or vandalism. Finally, since the device is mounted near the vehicle's bumper, it is apt to be damaged in collision.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,298 discloses another protective device for a car which includes a sheet of material wound around a roller and a surrounding container which is permanently mounted within the trunk of the vehicle. The sheet member is extended from the roller to cover the roof and hood of the vehicle. A motor is used to retract the sheet into the container for storage. This design is undesirable in that the device is relatively large, heavy and expensive, while leaving the back and sides of the car exposed to intruders and the elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,989 discloses a pop-up cover mechanism for covering the full body of the vehicle. The full cover is stored within a protective storage compartment which is mounted on the roof of a car. The storage compartment can be opened to release the protective sheet when it is desired to cover the car. An end of the protective sheet remains attached to the storage compartment, allowing the storage compartment to hold the protective sheet in place. Unfortunately, while the device provides for a somewhat elaborate deployment mechanism, the device is permanently attached to the center of the roof of the car, forming a large raised block portion, which is aesthetically undesirable. Further, the device requires that the design of the vehicle itself be altered or, in one embodiment, that holes be drilled into the roof of the car in order to mount the storage compartment on the car. This device is relatively expensive and has not proved popular among car owners.
There is needed a car cover deployment and storage system which is light, simple to use and manufacture, inexpensive, reliable, compact and which does not detract from the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle.